Spring-hinge.



E. BOMMER.

SPRING HINGE.

APPLIGATION FILED MAY 2, 1914.

Patented Mar. 16. 1915.

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EMIL BOMMER, 0F NEW YORK, N. Y.

SPRING-HINGE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Mar. 16, 1915..

Application filed May 2, 1914.-. Serial No. 835,886.

T0 all 'whom tmay concern.'

Be it known that I, EMIL BOMMER, a citi- Zen of the United States of America, and resident of the borough of Brooklyn, in the city of New York, county of Kings, and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful mprovements in Spring- Hinges, of which the following is a speciication.

rlhis invention relates to spring-hinges and more particularly to that type thereof known as floor-surface spring-hinges, and more particularly the object of the invention is to provide an improved connected system of lubrication and distributing means for the lubricant, in conjunction with gravity and Viscous cohesion and adhesion, said means consisting of suitably inclined plane surfaces in connection with movable contacting rollers, bearings and slidingiportions, forming a connected and adequate lubricating system for the hinge.

It is well known that the life of a springhinge depends largely upon the systematic lubrication thereof, as the sometimes considerable weight of the door when imposed upon or applied to the parts composing the spring-hinge quickly causes the wearing out of the surfaces thereof when same are not continually supplied with a suitable lubricant actually reaching these parts. The wearing out of the parts through lack of adequate lubrication causes frequent replacement, with the consequent inconvenience and expense, and to some degree with attendant dissatisfaction.

One embodiment of my invention is shown in the accompanying drawing, and the invention will be described hereinafter and finally pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawing, Figure 1 is a side-view of a part of a door having my improved spring-liinge-applied thereto, and also a part of the adjacent door-casing and part of the floor. to which the spring-hinge is fastened, Fig. 2is an -enlai-ged partial side-view, partly in section, showing the various parts in cooperation with each other, Fig. 3 is a vertical endview, on line 3-3 of Fig. 2, and Fig. 4 is an elevation or perspective view of the bearing-surface member.

Similar reference characters indicate corresponding parts throughout the different figures of the drawing.

Referring to the drawing, and more particularly to Fig. 1, the door 10, the doorcasing 11a and the fioor 12 are therein clearly shown. rl`he door 10 is provided with a cutout portion 11 into which is lodged a hingeframe, which is composed of horizontal members 13 and 141 and vertical members 15 and 16, this hinge-frame being suitably fastened to the door by suitable screws 17 and 18, or by other well known means, as, for instance, a dove-tailed or key-holed plate between the cut-out portion of the door and the hinge-frame, means well known, not herein claimed, and therefore not shown in the drawings.

Arranged within the frame members 13 and 14, and 15 and 16, is a spring-hinge mechanism, which consists of a. U-shaped member 19 having horizontal flanges 2O and 21, shown clearly in Figs. 2 and 3, which support vertical rollers 23 and 24, and which rollers have shafts 25 and 26 engaging the horizontal members 20 and 21 and being rotatable thereon. The U-shaped member 19 is provided with an upwardlyextending shaft 27 and a downwardlyextending shaft 28, upon which shafts 27 and 28 the hinge-frame rotates. |The shaft 28 has a rounded portion which extends downward and is j ournaled in a perforation of the member 14 and in a conical projection 32a of a reinforcing-plate 32, and terminates in a squared end 28L which passes through a-Correspondingly-squared hole in both the door-plate 29, and its cup-shaped reinforcing plate 33. These plates are firmly riveted together by rivets 29a. The shaft 28 after passing through plates 33 and 29, is firmly riveted to the floor-plate, by upsetting the lowermost end of the shaft as is clearly shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 3. The floor-plate 29 and its reinforcement 33 are secured to the floor 12 by screws 31. Intermediate the cone-shaped projection 32a of thev plate 32 and the cup-shaped bearingplate 33, suitable balls 34: are arranged, whereby a suitable ball-bearing is provided. The cone-shaped projection 32a of plate 32 forms a cavity adjacent the shaft 28, which serves as a gland in which a washer of felt or other absorbent material may, if desired, be packed to retard the flow of the oil.

The frame members 13 and 141 are also provided at both sides with side-flanges or guide-plates 35, 35a, and 36, 36a, between which rollers 37 and 38, arranged on shafts 39 and 40, rotate, which shafts extend upwardly and downwardly from a bearing member 45. This bearing member has its end or bearing-surface 46 contacting with the vertical rollers 28 and 24, and is provided at its other end with a rod 48, which is provided with a screw-threaded portion 49, and which rod 48 extends from the flange-portion 47 to and throughthe vertical frame member 16, which frame member 16 is provided with an opening 50 to enable the unhindered movement of the rod 48, therethrough. An adjusting-sleeve 51 for the spring 58 is also provided, having openings 52 to enable a rod, nail, or other convenient tool, to be inserted therein for the purpose of rotating the sleeve on the screwthreaded portion of the rod 48, and in order to enable this sleeve 51 to be shifted in position, for the purpose of increasing or decreasing the compression of the spring The coil-spring 58 is arranged between the a adjustable sleeve 51 and the vertical frame member 16, which now acts as a guiding bar for the movement of the rod 48, and this spring 58 serves to press the bearing member 45 against the rollers 28 and 24.

Most of the parts as described comprise mechanism known in the art and necessary for the coperation of the parts to make an efiicient floor-surface spring-hinge, others of these parts being claimed by me in a copending application. The improvement, however, forming the basis of this application consists in so arranging and modifying the parts as to bring about a very efficient co-` operation for .the continuous passage of a lubricant, so as to enable a very advantageous and complete system of lubrication to be carried out. For this purpose the horizontal flange 20 of the U-shaped member 19 is provided with sloping sides extending from the end downwardly along each side of the shaft 27 to its lowermost edge 71, this sloping being of gradual degree and being further characterized by a suitable curving of the upper transverse surface of the flange 20, so that any oil or other lubricant which is applied at or near the edge 70, the initial point of application being indicated by 88, will flow gradually toward the edge 71. As this lubricant passes over or turns the edge 71, a more or less viscous globule or film 82 of lubricant is formed between it and the proximate periphery 72 of the roller 87. In other words, the periphery 72 of the roller 87 is placed in such proximity to the edge 71 of the flange 20 that the distance therebetween corresponds about to the size of the globule or film of lubricant which is formed at the edge 71` Whenthis globule or thick film is so formed and contacts with theperiphery 72, it will by the viscous cohesion of the lubricant and the movement of the roller 87 between the guide-plates 85, 85a, be fcaused to crawl or distribute itself along the surfaces of the roller 87, both along the upper surface 78 and bearing thereof, and also along `the lower surface 74 thereof, and also the entire periphery of the roller as the same rotates between the fianges or guideplates 85 at each side of frame member 18 as well as the inner sides of said guide-plates and the adjacent lower surface of frame member 18, and thereby causes this roller 87 and all its bearings to be coated with a layer or film of lubricant. Having thus coated this roller, the remaining lubricant will flow downwardly over the periphery of the same, and along the lower-most side 74 thereof, and then along the circumference of the edges or shoulders 76 and 77 of the upwardly-extending portion of the bearing member 45. This bearing member 45 differs from the bearing members heretofore in use, in that it is provided with a transversely curved face and with a sloping longitudinal surface which extends from the edge 45a to its lowermost edge 45h. Whatever oil or lubricant flows from the roller 87 and the edges 76 and 77 is caught up by the suitably curved sloping part of the bearing member 45 and is conducted, by reason of the transverse curved surface given to this member, along the same and toward the lower edge 45b thereof. It then flows over the edge 45b and lubricates the contact-surfaces between the vertical bearing-surface 46 of the bearing member 45 and the rollers 28 and 24 of the member 20, whereby the oil is distributed by gravity along the surfaces of the rollers 28 and 24. The lubricant then coats the fiange 21 and flows partly along the curved and downwardly-sloping surface 87 of the lower part of the bearing member 45 and flows along the extension and the edges 88 and 89 thereof, and lubricates the downwardly-extending bearing-portion of bearing member 45, and also the surface and periphery of the roller 88, and the adjacent upper face of member 14 of the hinge-frame, together' with the inner surface of its flange or guide-plate 86, 86a. A more or less viscous globule or film is there formed, as shown by 81, by the proximity of the periphery of roller 88 with the edge 85. The remaining lubricant on the rollers 25 and 26 descends to the lower part thereof and gathers at the edge 85 of the flange 21, which is distributed along the" and upon whose smooth Contact the efliciency of the door-check depends, are supplied with lubricant, which can be conveniently replenished through an oil-hole 12a of the sideplate l2, shown clearly in F ig. l, located in proximity to point 83 of member 20, and the distribution of the lubricant is systematically controlled and greater durability of the hinge secured. To carry out this object, it was necessary to shape the cooperating parts in the manner described to bring about a continuous main path for the flow of the lubricant, with distributing branch-line flows along this path.

I have shown an embodiment of my invention, but changes may be made therein without departing from the spirit of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

Y I claim:

l. A spring-hinge, comprising spaced vertical rollers, a member for supporting the rollers, a bearing member contacting with the rollers, a channel in the upper part of the supporting member, adapted to guide a lubricant toward the upper part of the bearing member, and a channel on the bearing member adapted to guide the lubricant toward the lower part of said supporting member.

2. A spring-hinge, comprising spaced vertical rollers, a supporting member therefor, a bearing member contacting with the rollers, rollers on the bearing member having their periphery in proximity to the supporting member, means on the supporting member for guiding a lubricant to the upper part of the bearing member and to the roller uppermost thereon, said uppermost roller and supporting member being in proximity to each other when in one position, and means on the bearing member for guiding the lubricant to the lower part of the supporting member, the lowermost roller on the bearing member being in proximity to the lower part of the supporting member.

3. A spring-hinge, comprising a frame, a supporting member in said frame comprising a U-shaped member having horizontal flanges, spaced rollers supported by said flanges, a bearing member engaging said spaced rollers, a roller mounted o n the upper side of the bearing member, and a roller mounted on the under side of the bearing member having their periphery in close proximity to the supporting member, guideplates on the frame for guiding the rollers on the bearing member, means on the upper flange of the supporting member for conducting a lubricant to the edge in greatest proximity to the roller above the bearing member, means on the bearing member for guiding the lubricant to the spaced rollers, and means below the bearing member for guiding the lubricant from the spaced rollers to the lowermost guide-roller, the guiderollers being adapted to be brought into close position to the flanges of the supporting member.

4. In a spring-hinge, a supporting member having flanges, the upper flange having an inclined surface for the purpose of conveying a lubricant, spaced rollers supported by said flanges, and a bearing member engaging said rollers having an inclined surface for the purpose of conveying the lubricant toward the rollers.

5. ln a spring-hinge, spaced rollers a supporting member therefor, a frame for said supporting member, said supporting member having an inclined upper surface for the purpose of conveying a lubricant, a springactuated bearing member engaging said spaced rollers having an inclined upper surface for the purpose of conveying the lubricant, the inclination of the upper surface of the bearing member being in the direction of the supporting member and that of the supporting member being in the direction of the bearing member, and rollers on the bearing member having a united forward and backward movement therewith and adapted to approach the adjacent edge of the supporting member at one extreme limit of their movement sufficiently near to establish viscous cohesion and adhesion with the lubricant at the edge of the supporting member.

6. 1n a spring hinge, the combination of a stationary supporting member having rollers, said supporting member being provided with an inclined surface adapted to guide a lubricant, and a spring actuating bearing member provided with a projecting central portion adapted to contact with the rollers of the stationary supporting member and having inclined surfaces for guiding a lubricant.

7. In a spring-hinge,the combination with a frame, of a supporting member adapted to guide a lubricant, a bearing member engaging said supporting member, rollers on the bearing member having forward and backward movement therewith, guide-ways for said rollers, said forward and backward moving rollers making and breaking viscous cohesion and adhesion with the lubricant on said supporting member.

8. In a spring-hinge, the combination of a bearing member, a supporting member provided with flanges and having an inclined surface for guiding a lubricant toward the bearing member, said bearing member being provided with an inclined surface for guiding the lubricant to said supporting member, and guideways for guiding said bearing member.

9. A spring-hinge, comprising a U-shaped member, rollers supported by the U-shaped member, a bearing member coperating with the rollers, rollers supported by the bearing member, the periphery of said rollers being in proximity to the U-shaped member, said U-shaped member having an upper surface downwardly sloping and of a suitable curve to guide a lubricant toward the upper surface of the bearing member, said bearing member having a downwardlysloping upper surface for guiding the lubricant toward the rollers of the U-shaped member, and also having a downwardly-inclined lower surface for guiding the lubricant to the lower roller of the bearing member, and means for retarding the surplus lubricant.

10. A spring-hinge, comprising a frame comprising horizontal and vertical members, a U-shaped supporting member between the horizontal members ol the frame, spaced rollers supported by the U-shaped supporting member, shafts on the supporting member, one extending` upwardly into the upper horizontal member o'l' the frame, and the other extending downwardly through the lower horizontal member of the frame, guiding means on the upper surface of the U- shaped member for guiding a lubricant, a spring-actuated bearing member contacting with the spaced rollers of the supporting member, rollers supported by the bearing member and adapted to be brought into proximity of the U-shaped member, guiding members on the horizontal members of the frame for guiding the rollers of the bearing member, guiding means on the upper surface of the bearing member for conducting the lubricant toward the spaced rollers, guiding means on the lower part of the bearing member for conducting the lubricant from lthe spaced rollers, a conically-walled reinforcing-plate below the lower horizontal member of the frame, a gland arranged within the reinforcing'plate adapted to contain an absorbent material, and ball-bearings cooperating with the conically-shaped reinforcing-plate.

In testimony, that l claim the foregoing as my invention, l have signed my name in presence of two subscribing witnesses. Y

EMIL BOMMER.

lditnesses:

C. P. GOEPEL, Jos. BisBaNo.

Copies of this patent may De obtained for ve cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. C. 

